AMC LAKE SQUARE 6 PLANNING TO EXPAND TO 12 SCREENS BY FALL

It's double the pleasure for local movie buffs as the AMC Lake Square 6 Theatres gets ready to double its size.

The work could begin just in time for AMC to avoid paying hefty new proposed impact fees for adding movie screens, county government officials said.

Ground-breaking for construction of six additional theaters at Lake Square Mall could begin as early as late February, with the latest flicks appearing on the new screens by Labor Day, AMC Theatre officials said.

The existing theaters will be renovated to coincide with the opening of the new expansion.

"We want to be open hopefully by Labor Day," said Frank Stryjewski, senior vice president of operations of AMC Theatres.

Site plans submitted last month to the Lake County Planning Department call for a 10,000-square-foot, six-screen expansion.

The addition will extend into an existing service area in the northern section of the mall parking lot and won't decrease the number of public parking spaces available, county Planning Director Greg Stubbs said.

Final architectural plans should be ready for county review within two weeks, said Ted Wickes, engineering consultant for the project. Groundbreaking for the theaters would take place once county approvals are obtained, he said.

County staff last month OK'd the first phase of the expansion - relocating theater equipment to another area near the food court to accommodate the new theaters, Stubbs said.

The timing of the project, which has been in the planning stages for nearly a year, could save developers $165,000 in impact fees for law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services and roads.

If given final approval after two public hearings next month, the proposed impact fees for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services would cost developers nearly $23,000 for the theater expansion. Proposed increases in road impact fees would boost fees charged for the six screens from the current $34,650 to $176,538, an increase of $141,888.

If permits are pulled before impact fees are approved, the company won't be required to pay the additional expenses, Stubbs said.

The proposed impact fees could keep competition to a minimum for AMC Theatres.

Gary Morse, chief executive of The Villages at Lady Lake, said the development has considered building a movie theater. However, the proposed Lake impact fees will send that project and other commercial endeavors across the line into Sumter County, he predicted.

Theater expansion at the mall comes on the heels of record-breaking attendance at the local theater in 1994, continuing a three-year trend, Stryjewski of AMC said.

"The industry has been very healthy for the last three years," he said. "We have been fortunate enough to see Hollywood top themselves every year. We're optimistic that things are going to continue."

Among the 1995 releases expected to bring out audiences include another Batman sequel; Casper; the Walt Disney animated feature Pocahontas; Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks, and The Bridges of Madison County featuring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Steep, Stryjewski said.

Stryjewski attributes the company's success in Lake County not only to Hollywood, but also their special programs catering to seniors and families.

"The regional mall really functions beyond shopping and serves as a social area," Stryjewski said. "By and large, it's been a very appealing and successful program."